


Field Trip

by lildarkone



Category: Callisto 6 (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Fluffy, no superpowers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2020-08-11 04:56:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20148004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lildarkone/pseuds/lildarkone
Summary: Cass volunteers to chaperone a trip for her little cousin Kira to the zoo. On the trip she meets the teacher's assistant, Luma.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is written mostly for two reason: One, I was having a bad day and wanted some fluff in my life and Two, I'm trying to get better at writing kids. This is an AU so the setting is the same with C-Day and the corps, but there aren't super powers, Fletcher, etc.  
Everything is unbetaed, so forgive any mistakes.
> 
> Enjoy and hope everyone has a good day.

Cass and Oya walked up to the parking lot of the marina, easily spotting the children and adults milling about. Traffic was just beginning to swell, communters making their way to and from work, a few stranglers who may have partied a _little_ too hard peppered in. Cass dodged a few people who were busy talking on their phones or with their companions, resisting the urge to stick her boot out. She really wasn’t a morning person, especially when she had to work a long shift the night before, but only two things kept her from turning around and heading back to bed. The large tumbler of Oya’s cafecito in her hand and the small form barreling towards her.

“Cass! Oya!”

“Kira bear!” Cass barely registered Oya plucking the thermos from her hand before the young girl slammed into her. She scooped her up and tossed the shrieking girl into air, easily catching her and setting her on her hip. “Wow you’re getting so big. You ready for the zoo?”

“Uh huh! Hey Oya!”

“Hey sweetie.” Oya leaned over and kissed the young girl’s cheek. The trio walked back over to where the group of children were milling about, parents and teachers in a loose circle around them to keep them from running off. A man stood watching them fondly, his brown eyes tiered, but warm as he watched his daughter babbling excitedly.

“Do you ever remember a time when we had this much energy?” Cass joked when she reached her cousin, kneeling for a moment to set Kira down next to them. As soon as her little feet hit the ground Kira had taken Cass's hand and seemed content for the moment to stand there, twisting back and forth, almost mesmerized at the moment with the flair of her skirt as it moved.

“Says the woman that is more hyper then a sugar rushed squirrel.”

“Not at 7 in the morning after doing a long shift,” Cass stuck her tongue out before reaching out to hug the man. “Morning Carson.”

“Morning you two.” He hugged Oya. “Thanks again for agreeing to help with this field trip.”

“Course. You know I love any chance to hang out with this little munchkin."

“Cass! I want you to meet someone, come on comeoncomeon.” Cass had no choice but to let herself be dragged over to the idling school bus where a small cluster of people were waiting. Kira pulled her right up to two women who turned and smiled at her.

“Mrs. Brushmen? This is my cousin, Cassie, but we call her Cass.”

The older of the two, a woman in her mid forties with a shock of red hair peppered with gray at the temples, held out her hand with a gentle smile.

“Nice to meet you, Cass. We’ve heard quite a bit about you from young Kira here.”

“Thanks, likewise. She’s always talkin’ ‘bout how great your class is,” Cass said, taking the woman’s hand in a shake before turning to the other woman and stuttering to a stop.

“And this is Ms. Sini! She’s the teacher’s as-assi-assisant.”

The woman chuckled, “Assistant, right.” Amber eyes lined in dark eyeliner caught Cass and she immediately felt herself caught in the honey warm gaze. “Nice to meet you Cass.”

“You too Ms…Sini?”

“Orsini. But you can call me Luma.”

While words weren’t always her strongest suit, there were few times Cass could remember stumbling over her words like she was now. With her mother’s voice yelling in her ear about manners, she reached out and took Luma’s hand. “Nice to…to meet you, Luma. Cass…I mean, yeah I’m Cass.”

Luma laughed, charmed by the bumbling. “Nice to meet you too Cass. Kira’s been talking almost non-stop since she found out you’re coming with us.”

Before either could say anything else Mrs. Brushmen called for everyone to get onto the bus. Since it was actually two classes, there were almost thirty kids. A few adults had volunteered to drive while the rest piled on the bus. Kira kissed her dad goodbye before bounding up to stand in line. Mrs. Brushmen ushered them on, smiling at their enthusiasm as they talked about which animals they were looking forward to seeing and what they had been learning over the last few weeks.

Cass got on and sat in the very front, turning slightly so she could see over the back of the seat where Oya and Kira were sitting. “this feels a little too familiar,” Cass mumbled, remembering all the times in school when she’d get in trouble for one thing or another and had to sit in the front of the bus on any trips.

Oya chuckled, “That’s why Kira and I saved that one for you, figured you’d miss it.” Her amber eyes twinkled, but before Cass could make a comment someone cleared their throat. She turned and her eyes widened when she saw Luma standing there.

“Mind if I sit here? Most of the other seats are taken.”

Cass glanced around, seeing that sure enough the only open spots were the one next to her and the driver’s seat. “Um,” She bent her leg under herself, opening up the seat. “Yeah, sure.” She glanced over at Kira and Oya who had their heads close together, conspiring about something. Luma sat down, moving away from the aisle as Mrs. Brushman got up to address the students about procedures and safety and the rules of the trip.

“Nearly twenty years and that speech still sounds the same,” Cass grumbled, earning a small laugh from Luma.

“And you still talk during it,” Oya supplied, leaning over the back a bit.

“Like you didn’t do the same,” Cass shot back, grinning up at her childhood friend.

“I don’t think any kid likes to listen to these,” Luma admitted, glancing back at Kira with a wink. Kira giggled, quieting down when Mrs. Brushmen glanced at her when she went to sit down in her seat. But she was so excited, she was getting to go the zoo with not only her friends but three of her favorite grown ups.

“But it’s important that you do. Last thing I need is your dad mad at me, okay squirt?”

“Okay.”

Luma watched the two interact, smiling at the serious expression on Kira’s face. It wasn’t hard to see by the how the two interacted that they were close and how much they adored one another.

When Kira turned back to Oya to tell her something Cass found her attention pulled to the woman sitting next to her, struggling to say something, anything. Well, hopefully nothing too stupid. “How long have you been an assistant?”

“About a year now. This was actually my school so I was really happy when I saw that they had a opening.”

“And you want to work just with kindergartners?”

Luma nodded, settling into the seat as she warmed to the subject. “Yeah. I’ve always loved younger kids. Just the excitement and things that they come up with off the top of their heads. I mean, some of the games I’ve seen them come up with just off the tops of their heads is amazing. I’ve lost track of how many times they have taken simple things like sticks and boxes and made up the most elaborate tales too. I remember this one time…”

Watching the way that Luma’s face glowed and her hands moved to accentuate the words, Cass found herself utterly captivated. Honestly kids weren’t her strongest suit, save her little cousins, but she couldn’t deny the energy they had. Energy that seemed to be mirrored by the woman sitting next to her.

Luma noticed the silence from her seat mate and turned to look at her, mistaking the cocked head and look on her face as a dazed look. Heat flared up her cheeks and she dropped her hands into her lap. “Sorry, I’m talking a lot.”

Cass snapped out of it by the abrupt cut off. “Yeah, wait no. No it…it wasn’t too much. I get what you mean. Kira never seems to be out of energy and ideas. In fact I think Oya’s used her as a bit of a sounding board when she gets stuck on her VR projects.”

“VR? I should have her meet my best friend, they’re one of the best coders out there.”

“Oh yeah? I think Oya would love that. She loves collaborating with people.”

“And what do you do? Kira said you’re a bouncer?” At first glance the small form didn’t fit the image of security, but up close she could make out the stretch of her shirt across her shoulders and the play of muscles in her arms as they crossed over her chest.

“Not really, I work at my friend’s place and they have robots for security. I just do whatever is needed.”

“What’s the place called?”

“Kingyo.”

“Oh I’ve heard about that place, like an old school jazz bar, right?”

“Yeah, it’s a pretty cool place, real chill. They have performances throughout the week.”

“Ooh, what kind?”

Cass stiffened slightly. As much as views had advanced over the years, some people were still a bit backwards. “Mostly drag shows.”

“That sounds cool. When’s the next one?”

Relaxing at the genuine interest Cass replied, “This Thursday.”

“Are you going to be working?”

“Yeah,” Cass said, stretching out the word as she felt her stomach flip.

Luma smiled, her eyes twinkling. “Then I’ll have to stop in.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap this was hard to write for some reason, but thanks to my beta fivebyfreakingfive for making this readable.

When they finally got to the zoo, it was like a herd of puppies tumbling out onto the pavement. Despite the early hour, their little bodies were almost buzzing with excitement. With some modicum of success the adults were able to corral the children towards the ticket booth. There waiting for them was a brunette woman in a purple polo with the zoo’s logo stitched over the left breast pocket.

“Welcome to the LA Zoo everyone. I'm Leah, I'll be showing you around. First off: who can guess what we do here?”

“Feed babies.”

“Cuddle kitties!”

“Wrestle gators!”

The last one pulled chuckles from everyone and Leah shook her head with a smile. “We do feed the animals so they stay healthy and strong. Cuddling a few of the animals is a bit of a perk here. However, alligator wrestling is only on holidays.” This got the kids babbling again as they moved into the first exhibit.

It was a massive two story structure with the bottom half wrapped in wire mesh with the top capped off by netting. The kids ran up to the viewing glass, noses squished against it as they marveled at the clash of colors and song from the dozen or so birds within. It took a little prodding, but they were finally convinced to move into the the double door system utilized to keep any birds from escaping. Inside they followed the winding pathway towards the small building at the back that had 'Storage' stenciled above the door.

Cass watched Kira run ahead to join up with some friends, her face bright and excited. Kira was smart, so damn smart. She would soak up any information her mind could and keep it stored to spout off later. It was always interesting to see what would come out of her mouth next. This place was a treasure trove of information and images for her young mind. Cass couldn't blame her. Born and raised on Baldwin Island, the most exotic animal she had ever seen was a massive rat the size of a cat. The zoo brought the exotic to LA's backyard. For a moment she imagined what it would it be like to walk through the jungle. Surrounded by the chattering and chittering of animals that she'd only seen in these cages or on TV.

Movement and excited voices pulled her attention to a small cluster a few feet up the path. Luma was standing behind a few kids who seemed to be intimidated by one of the larger birds. A not too subtle nudge in her side made her turn to see Oya looking at her, a particular twinkle in her eye. Her own narrowed. “What?”

“So…need any help getting ready for your date on Thursday?”

“I don’t have a date,” Cass sputtered, red flaring up in her neck.

“Really? Hmm, cuz it sounds like Luma is gonna come to the club.”

“It’s a club, a lot of people come to the club. It’s a popular club!”

Oya didn’t even try and hide her grin as she watched her friend become flustered. It was too adorable. It had been awhile since Cass had shown interest in anyone and they were like sisters. She had to tease.

Thankfully Leah spoke up saving Cass from further teasing. All the kids sat on the ground in the spaced out clearing in front, looking up at her as another zookeeper came out.

“Everyone,” She called. “I would like you to meet Mateo.” The man next to her waved an ungloved hand that had a leather thong wrapped lose between his fingers. It lead to a large golden eagle that sat perched on the thick leather handling glove on his other hand. It was his only defense against the bird's massive talons. “And this beautiful girl is Thea. She’s a golden eagle that was recently brought to us. One thing we do here is rehabilitation. That means we help sick animals get better so we can try and release them. However, Thea was raised around humans since she was a little baby bird, which means we can’t release her. She wouldn’t be able to survive, so now she acts as an animal ambassador. That means she helps us teach students like yourself about nature and how we can help.”

As she spoke Mateo was walking around, allowing everyone a closer look at the massive bird of prey. The golden plumage around her neck glinted in the sun shining through the foliage.

“She’s beautiful huh?” Luma’s voice from her side startled her a bit. Cass glanced over, noticing the woman standing close by, a young boy tucked into her side. There was a look of amazement on his face that Cass was pretty sure was mirrored on her own.

“Yeah," Her eyes lingered on the lines of Luma's jaw and nose, the warm umber of her eyes. "Yeah she uh…not something you get to see everyday, ya know?” Cass replied, her stomach dropping a bit as she tried to keep from stuttering too much. Words were not her thing normally. Add trying to form words around a cute woman? Even worse.

Luma smiled, brown eyes dancing as she glanced at the woman next to her. “She is. It’d be so cool to be able to take off and fly.”

Cass nodded, agreeing with that thought more then Luma could possibly know. There had been many times in her life, especially whenever her mom would start laying into her, that she wanted nothing more then to take off. To be able to soar off, go anywhere she wanted with ease, that was something she would have craved. “Yeah, that sounds amazing.”

The small hint of sadness that colored Cass’s words caught Luma’s attention. A hint of sadness that was curled around lips pulled up in a slight smile. She worried she had said something wrong, but Cass seemed to shake herself out of it and her smile became wider, brighter.

“Would make LA traffic a lot easier to deal with, that’s for sure,” Cass added, pushing away the sadness. This wasn’t the time or the place and she for sure didn’t want this to color Luma’s impression of her.

Mateo had finished his circuit and Leah was gathering everyone up to continue on their tour.

Luma cast one last look at Cass before helping Brushmen get everyone together. Cass wondered if it was just her imagination that Luma seemed to linger a second before leaving. ‘Don’t be an idiot.’

“Did ya see, did ya see?” Kira came racing over, jumping up and down even as she grabbed Cass’s hand. “That was so big! Do you think it coulda picked you up?”

“She’s tiny,” Oya said, looping her arm around Cass’s shoulders and gave it a small squeeze. “But I don’t think Thea could have carried her off. Well," The word drew out as Oya tapped her lip as if in deep thought. "Maybe?”

“Hey! You’re not much bigger then me,” Cass shot back, earning a laugh from her friend.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glad everyone is enjoying it so far and thanks for the comments and kudos. As always a huge thank you to my beta Fivebyfreakingfive for catching the wonky bits that my sleepy mind skipped over.
> 
> Enjoy everyone!

The tour through the zoo was going quick. Each exhibit was more captivating and entertaining than the last for the children. At the moment their destination was near the end of the park: the aquatic section and the underground area, where visitors could see all types of animals darting about.

They descended into the underground section, the warm noon air slacking off a bit as they found themselves surrounded by thick plexiglass and deep, shimmering aquamarine water with just slivers of the above ground exhibit visible.

Leah motioned them towards one of the bigger exhibits. “Everyone,” She said, as the children began to climb on the low bench. It ran the length of the viewing glass, letting the kids press as close as they were able, so they could see in. “I would like you to meet our polar bears, Klondike, the smaller one, and Snow, her big brother.” They were just able to see above the water towards the back of the exhibit.

There, two massive bears were finishing up eating. Klondike meandered over to curl up in a shallow section of the pool, as if content to sleep off lunch. Meanwhile, Snow dove headfirst into the water. “They were brought in as cubs, quite sick, and with some time and care, they’ve grown into the two you see now. Their homes are typically in the Arctic, very far to the south; they can grow to well over nine feet tall and well over 1500 lbs. That’s about as much as a small car.”

The kids looked at her, eyes wide in shock before they turned back to look at the swimming animal. Curious about the visitors pressed against his habitat, Snow came swimming up to the window. Massive paws planted against the ledge on the other side, mirroring the children’s poses as he pulled himself to his full height. Many of the kids shouted in surprise. One girl in particular, near the end of the line, let out a gasp. Her hand pushed herself backwards, her heel slipping off the ledge of the bench.

Thanks to a combination of where she happened to be standing, and reflexes honed from having a daredevil young cousin, Cass threw her arms out, snagging the girl before she fell. Gravity was still a thing however and Cass fell backwards, letting out an ‘oof’ as her tailbone smacked into the concrete.

Everyone stopped in surprise and turned to look at the two. Cass tried not to let the pain show as she turned to focus on the young girl in her arms. She didn’t look hurt, but her eyes were down on the floor and she was holding herself very still.

Oya and Mrs. Brushmen rushed over, Luma just a few steps behind them as Cass helped the younger girl to stand.

“Are you okay, Molly?” The teacher asked, kneeling down. Molly nodded, saying nothing and making no other movement, save that of thin shoulders slowly climbing up towards her ears as if she was trying to make herself smaller.

Cass picked herself up, grimacing at the slight twinge in her backside. 'Fuck gravity.'

“Nice catch,” Oya murmured. “You okay?”

“Perfectly fine. No problems.”

“He’s not going to hurt you Molly,” Brushmen explained, still kneeling next to the young girl. She gave a wave to Leah that everything was okay so the tour guide continued with her narration, pulling the other children’s attention back to her. “He’s on the other side of the glass and was just as curious about us as we are about him.”

“He’s…really, really big though.” The words were so soft that most of the surrounding adults didn’t hear it.

Cass felt her heart go out to the girl. She was the smallest in her class, something Cass was painfully familiar with. Being the smallest often meant being the butt of jokes and lots of teasing. Her mind conjured up Charlie, who had taught her from a young age to stand up for herself. An idea began to form into her head as she thought of her uncle and she mulled it over for a moment, hoping this wasn’t about to go really bad. “Hey, Molly, right?” She knelt down again, ducking her head a bit to try and catch the girl's eye. A soft nod was her answer. “I’m Cass. And you’re right, that is a big, big bear. Wanna fix that though?”

The girl peeked up a her, eyes curious, but after a moment gave a hesitant nod.

“Okay. I’m gunna pick ya up, put you on my shoulders. That okay?”

“It’ll make me big?”

“Big as that guy.” Cass jerked her thumb over to Snow.

“Kay.”

“All right. My Uncle Charlie used to do this with me a lot. Always made me feel I was on top of the world. Ready?”

“Yeah. Kira talks ‘bout you a lot,” Molly mumbled, taking Cass offered hand. With a practiced move, Cass lifted Molly up and secured her on her shoulders, her hands immediately finding Molly’s to stabilize her. Molly giggled, holding tight to Cass’s outstretched hands as sure enough she came almost to eye level with Snow who had stood up once more.

Cass glanced up at Molly as best she could, a crooked smile on her own face as she was glad she could recreate the feeling. “Tell me when you want down, okay?” Cass said, earning a distracted nod in return.

Sensing someone stepping closer she turned her head in time to spot Luma stepping closer, looking up at the young girl.

“Wow Molly. You’re super tall, huh?” She reached up and tapped the girl’s wrist. The young girl looked down at her, no trace of hesitancy as she gave an enthusiastic nod.

“Super super tall!”

Since the first day of school Molly, who was a year younger than everyone else, often kept to herself, seemingly only talking when someone came to her first. But right now her smile and laughter was as bright as the other children’s. Luma found her eyes drifting to the woman responsible for it, saw the same childlike glee on Cass’s face and couldn’t stop her own lips from mirroring it. She didn’t even try to.

Curious as to the stretched silence, Cass looked over at the other woman. Spotting the smile and soft brown eyes directed at her, Cass felt her stomach flip. She was on a field trip with her five-year-old niece and her classmates, and one said classmate was on her shoulders. She should really pay attention.

But all she could think about was she kind of wanted to see that smile again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for being patient everyone, this chapter was a pain, but I'm happy with what came of it. Again and as always, thanks to Fivebyfreakinfive for being my beta, they make this readable for y'all.
> 
> Have a good day.

By the time they called for a break for lunch, Cass's stomach was grumbling and her back was aching quite a bit. A few of the other kids, mostly friends of Kira’s, had asked for piggy back rides, so as soon as Molly had said she was ready to get down Cass had almost immediately found another kid in her place. She didn’t really mind, having worked at construction sites most of her life. But between having to restock the bar last night and the wiggling puppy like nature of the children, her muscles twinged as she stretched.

“You okay there, old lady?” Oya asked as she watched Cass rub at her back for the second time since they came into the zoo restaurant. Most everyone was gathered out on the grassy knoll just outside, a few inside getting food before heading back out.

“Ha ha, real funny,” Cass replied, as they moved into the line.

“You guys having a good time?” Luma’s voice spoke up behind Cass, startling the woman slightly. She jumped as if goosed and turned, seeing the platinum blonde smiling just behind her. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”

“No problem. You didn’t startle me I just…ooh pizza.” Cass turned back to the menu board, looking a little too intently at the menu as she tried hard to ignore the smirk she could feel from Oya and the stare from Luma.

“Everything going good so far, Luma?” Oya asked, trying to move the subject on.

“Yeah it’s going great. I love this time of the year, the kids are always really excited. My friend actually coded a program that we used to help the kids learn about the animals and some of their environments.”

This piqued Oya’s interest, causing her to begin asking about the program and what else her friend liked to work on. “I’m always looking for programers and coders to collaborate with, since I do more of the front end stuff.”

“Lacy is amazing when it comes to coding.”

Cass listened to them, throwing in a few comments here and there about Oya’s work, having no real knowledge of it save what she’s picked up beta testing for Oya over the years. Instead she just enjoyed listening to the two, their voices mixing with the buzz of the other visitors and the sizzle of the grill.

Getting to the register she said, “The three of us are together.”

Oya and Luma protested, but Cass waved them off. “Nah it’s cool. Oya I asked you to come today and Luma,” She looked at the woman, her smile softening slightly without her knowing. “You’re doing an awesome job, consider it a thank you for looking after the little bit.” She turned to pay. Oya glanced at the woman next to her, noting the soft smile as Luma looked at her best friend. Cass was always a bit rough around the edges, sometimes crude, sometimes clumsy, but she had a heart the size of the city and Oya loved when others got to see it. Loved it even more when the person in question was someone that seemed to have caught Cass’s eye. She filed the information away for now, ideas clicking into place.

“What?” Cass said, turning to see the curious smile on Oya’s face.

Oya blinked, “What?”

“What’re you smiling about?”

“What I can’t smile?”

“No I didn’t say you couldn’t smile!?” The two friends walked out the restaurant with their food, Luma trailing behind them, utterly amused by their bickering.

They took a spot by a fountain, close to the grassy area where many of the kids were eating, a few running about and playing. Luma set her stuff down, saying she’d be right back, and left to go check in with Brushmen and the kids.

Cass and Oya settled onto the fountain, Cass watching Luma go for a moment before rubbing her neck and digging into her lunch. Kira and Molly quickly made their way over and wiggled between the two women, the coloring book they received from Leah open as they flipped through the pages, chattering happily about the animals they had just seen. Between the playful chatter and cool breeze, Cass felt herself relax.

“See look Cass,” Kira opened it to show a bird soaring through the air, wings stretched and mouth open in a silent cry. “It’s Thea.”

“Sure is,” Cass said, rubbing Kira’s hair and smiling.

“Maybe you can color one of those and give it to your dad, he can hang it up in his office,” Oya suggested.

Kira’s eyes widened as she started to thumb through the book faster. Beside her Molly was fiddling with her own book, propped on top of her lunch box. Oya cocked her head and smiled.

“That’s a really cool lunchbox. That’s Sailor Aurora, right?”

Molly’s eyes widened as she turned to look at Oya. “Y-yeah. She’s my favorite. She’s really really strong and pretty.”

Oya’s smile widened as she watched the young girl warm to the subject. Cartoons, works every time with kids.

“You like Sailor Aurora?” Molly asked, not believing an adult liked a cartoon.

“Like it? Oya helped with the video game,” Cass replied, grinning brightly as Molly whipped around to look at her, then back at Oya, instantly asking if that was true. Kira jumped in, eager as always to talk about something she loved, in this instance Oya and Sailor Aurora.

She felt someone sit down next to her and turned to see Luma join them again. She straightened, giving Luma room to sit. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, just making my rounds,” Luma said, relaxing and letting out a soft sigh as she was finally able to get off her feet. “Feels good to sit down though.”

“No kidding. I don’t remember ever having this much energy when I was their age.”

“Downside to being an adult, we get to do more stuff, but don’t get any extra energy to do it with.”

“At least you get to do stuff like this, take kids out and let ‘em have fun.”

Luma grinned, nodding. “I love coming here. I still remember when I brought my little brothers for the first time. They were monsters, but still adorable whenever they found an animal they liked.”

“How many brothers do you have?”

“Two. Twins, Luka and Marco. They’re eleven. I also have a baby sister, Sophia. You? Do you have any siblings?”

“Besides Oya,” Cass smiled over at Oya who was entertaining Kira and Molly with a small video of her latest project. “No.”

“How long have you two known one another?”

“Elementary. We were at the same table.” As Cass spoke a smile cocked her mouth, remembering that day. Cass would never classify her upbringing as poor, but times were tight sometimes. Food was there, but sometimes sparse. Her mother tried, but sometimes she had maybe half a sandwich for her lunch. But that day, as she had sat staring at the painfully thin brown bag, she saw, out of the corner of her eye, a few empanadas being slid into her view. Since that day they had been inseparable.

“She found the best way to gain my loyalty. Feed me.” The two shared a laugh, and Luma saw the same sadness from before when they had been in the aviary, but just as before it was gone beneath a smile as cocky and carefree as the woman who wore it.

Luma chewed her lip. “I…feel like every time we talk I keep bringing up something that upsets you.”

Cass looked at her, head cocked. “What?”

Luma shook her head, trying to find her words. “Sorry it’s just…before in the aviary and right now, you got this kinda…sad look in your eye.” Her words trailed off as she saw the wide brown eyes looking back at her. Panic shot through her and she stammered, “I’m sorry. Did I make this awkward? I made this awkward, I’m just gonna,” She cut herself off, and started to get up, questioning why she had brought it up in the first place, but was stopped by a warm hand around her wrist.

“No it’s…it’s cool. And it’s not anything you said, well yeah, but no,” Cass grimaced at her word fumble. “It’s not like that. Nothin’ you did. I would love to be able to fly and Oya is my best friend, I don’t mind talking about that. With you.”

Luma stared at Cass for a second, gauging the sincerity of her words. Her shoulders loosened when she found it. As she leaned back she felt a slight pressure on her arm and looked down, surprised to see Cass still holding her.

Cass looked down as well and let go as quickly as if she’d been burned. That heat traveled up her neck and cheeks. “Ah sorry. Sorry.”

Any lingering discomfort melted away. “No no it’s okay.”

Cass opened her mouth to say something, to try and sound somewhat suave to make up for the awkward, but was stopped by a small body leaning against her shoulder. She glanced over, half expecting to see Kira, but instead was surprised to see Molly.

“Cass? Does this look like Snow?” She held up the coloring book to a picture of a polar bear swimming in the water, a few iceburgs and penguins in the backgrounds.

“Yeah it does. You gonna color that one?”

“But ‘is furs already white.”

“Well he could be any color if you want him to be. What about…blue?”

Molly’s face screwed up and she shook her head, laughing. “A blue bear?”

“Why not? Maybe with a little hat? Or purple? Or,”

“Polka dots!” Molly yelled, growing excited at the idea.

“That sounds like it will be one amazing looking bear,” Cass said, watching her plop back down, her small feet kicking happily back and forth.

Luma watched the interaction with a smile as Molly pulled a few crayons out and started to color, humming quietly. She had always been a quiet kid. Polite, a sweetheart, but painfully shy. “You’re good with kids.”

Cass shrugged, feeling kind of uncomfortable with the praise, but with the same kind of contentment that she had whenever she babysat Kira. They were honest, sometimes to a fault and loved to repeat back everything. Cass remembered a few swear words accidentally slipping out her mouth and then later out of a very proud Kira’s. “Not really. Not a lotta experience. But I dunno,” Cass gave a shrug. “It’s hard not to love ‘em.”

Luma nodded, feeling the same about her kids. They were a handful sometimes, okay, all the time. But the outlook they had always kept things interesting. “Couldn’t agree more.” The two shared a smile before Cass’s attention was drawn away when Kira, with the ever short attention span of a child, began to crawl on her back.

“Play, Cass!”

“Guess she got her second wind. Be right back,” Cass replied as she stood, Kira clinging to her back and they trotted off into the grass. When they got to a space free of bystanders, Cass swung Kira from her back and tossed her into the air, the two devolving into wrestling about. Luma watched as Kira tackled Cass who dramatically fell backwards. It wasn’t long until other kids wandered over, most of them Kira’s friends, and Cass was being dog piled.

“Should we go save her?” Luma asked.

Oya chuckled and shook her head, glancing down at Molly who was fixated on the small screen on Oya’s wrist that was showing another Sailor Aurora VR. “Nah. She’s enjoying this,” She replied, looking over as another child came up to them, curious as to what Molly was watching.

Luma looked back at Cass, watching as she stood, children hanging off her arms as she lifted them up, all of their faces bright with smiles. She had heard a lot about the Charke clan from the other teachers who had dealt with them or even taught them. They were blue collar, loud, rough around the edges. Luma could see that in Cass, with her well worn leather and swagger, but there was no mistaking the heart she’d seen when she had picked Molly up or let the kids crawl on her like a human play set. It was an interesting package over all, a very attractive one. _'You're supposed to be working, Luma.'_ She chastised herself, but besides a quick glance around to see her other kids still sitting and eating, her eyes were drawn right back to the rainbow haired woman.

Beside her Oya leaned back on her arms, watching Luma watch Cass. A smile curled the corner of her lips, curious to see where this would head.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, hope everyone is doing well and has a good weekend. Enjoy the next bit and please leave some love if you feel so inclined. It makes this writer's day so much better. I want to give a shout out to my awesome beta Fivebyfreakinfive who always makes sure my mess of words make sense.

It was a much more subdued group that spilled out onto the marina parking lot later that afternoon. The children were still excited, talking about the animals they had seen and the things they had learned. But, tiny eyes were drooping and small yawns interspersed the excited babble. The volunteers all helped children and adults reunite before leaving themselves. The large group trickling out until it was only Oya, Cass, Kira, and, surprisingly, Luma.

“Do you need a ride somewhere?” Cass asked, shifting Kira a bit higher onto her hip. The little girl, nodding off as she was, murmured grumpily before settling back down.

Luma watched the little girl, reaching out to brush an errant hair out of her face. “No. I actually live in Raft City and I’m waiting for my friend to get off work so we can go home.”

“Oh, okay cool,” Cass said, nodding and clearing her throat, searching for something to say. “Today was um, really really cool. The kids had a lot of fun.”

“Yeah. Not too many people I know can keep up with the kids like you were. Not sure how you’re not sore,” Luma replied, hoping she didn’t sound quite as…interested as she felt. Surreptitiously her eyes drifted along the slope and curves of Cass’s muscled shoulders and arms exposed by the ripped edges of her sleeveless shirt. She always did have a thing for a strong partner and her mind idly wondered just how much strength was packed into that tiny form. Her eyes widened at the turn her thoughts had taken for someone she had just met. _‘Ooh down girl.’_ Biting her lip she focused again on Cass’s words as she started to answer.

“Uh probably will be later, but that’s okay. I don’t have to work until tomorrow night.”

Luma’s eyes brightened and she latched onto this. “Thursday. The show is tomorrow right?”

Remembering the conversation from earlier, and still surprised that Luma seemed serious about coming, it took Cass a second to respond. “Y-yeah. The show starts at nine, but the doors open at 7.”

Luma smiled, excited because she had been wanting to go to Kingyo for awhile now. But now it compounded with a very cute reason and she was eager for it. “What kind of music usually plays? Like heavy and fast or light?”

“Sometimes the shows are a little bit rowdier, but for the most part it’s soft jazz. When they built it they based it off old school speakeasies.”

“That sounds cool. Me and my friend have been wanting to check it out so I’m really excited.”

Despite her nerves, Cass couldn’t help but return Luma’s bright smile. “I know some of the people performing tomorrow, they’re amazing. You'll have a good time.”

Unable to help herself Luma’s smile became a little flirty as she said, “I think I’m gonna have a great time.”

Luma's mild flirtation caused a sudden intake of air to follow her jaw dropping that knocked Cass into a coughing fit. She tried hard not to dislodge Kira, but her face became quite red. Oya took Kira from her friend, not even bothering to hide her own grin at her friend’s predicament.

Conner jogging up to them gave Cass a bit of reprieve to recover. He stopped by Oya, smiling wide at Kira who brightened up instantly seeing her dad. She leaned into his arms, Oya relinquishing her so she can curl up on his shoulder. Conner kissed Kira on the head before turning to Cass who was slowly returning to a normal color. “You okay? You’re as red as a tomato.”

“Yep, I’m good. Fine,” Cass mumbled, scrubbing at her cheeks and willing them to cool.

Luma looked away, charmed by the embarrassment, but not wanting to make it any worse. A call on her subvocals turned her attention to the familiar form of her best friend rolling towards her. “Hey Lacy,” She said when they came to a stop beside the group. “Glad you were able to get off early.”

“Yeah I got my work done, so Scrap didn’t have an issue with me cutting out early,” Lacy said, smiling brightly. “How was the zoo?”

“It was amazing. The kids had a great time,” Luma replied. “Oh this is Cass Charke and Oya Guillen. They volunteered to help wrangle the kids. Cass is Kira’s cousin.”

“Hey Lacy,” Kira said from her dad’s shoulder. All the kids were familiar with Lacy. It was common for the young tech to meet up with Luma or sometimes present the kids with something they built, often related to whatever they were learning at the time.

“Hey munchkin,” Lacy said with a smile before turning to look at the other two. “Nice to meet both of you-..."

“Sorry, hate to interrupt, but I gotta get going, Uncle Gus is having us over tonight. I’ll see you guys later,” Conner said, dropping a kiss on Oya’s cheek and sharing a hug with his cousin before waving at the other two. “Say bye Kira.”

Kira waved goodbye to the group as she and her dad turned to walk down the street. “I’ve heard Kira mention you both. She is always talking about how you give the best hugs,” They said to Cass then turned to Oya. “And you make videos?”

“I program. Luma was telling us you’re a coder?”

Lacy nodded, “Yeah I love building machines and then coding them.”

“And they’re off,” Luma smiled. Lacy was introverted by nature, until someone got them talking about tech. And it looked like Oya could keep up. Glancing over to Cass she saw a similar glazed expression that let her know she wasn’t the only tech layman. She chuckled, drawing Cass’s attention. Cass chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck.

“I can help her beta test, but anything beyond that I’m not that great,” Cass replied.

“Same. Lacy has taught me some, but I leave the digital world to them.”

The two lapsed into silence, their smiles gentle as they listened to the chatter of their friends. For some weird reason it wasn’t…weird. Cass could almost hear her heartbeat in her ears as she scrambled for something to say. Her mind was coming up blank for anything besides ‘she has a beautiful smile.’

“So would you mind if I grabbed your number?” Luma said, bringing Cass’s scrambling thoughts to a screeching halt.

“My number?”

“Yeah. It’s nice when you’re going some place new to have someone there you already know.”

“Uh…sure sure yeah,” Cass replied, moving to tap the side of her glasses. She watched Luma’s eyes become unfocused for a moment as she seemed to read something across her contacts. “Just ya know, text me whenever you get there tomorrow night. If I’m not behind the bar maybe I can show you around? Maybe?” Cass winced at how high her voice got near the end and she quickly cleared her throat. “If you want.”

“That sounds great. Could I text you before that? Or is this a one time offer?”

Cass’s mouth moved for a second before she was able to peel her tongue from the roof of her mouth and sputtered, “Yeah sure, of course! Sounds great. Cool cool cool.”

Luma giggled at the floundering of words. She went to say something, finding she was enjoying the flush of red and crooked grin that seemed to result from any flirting, but a mental clearing of a throat over subvocals stopped her.

_‘If you’re done flirting we should probably__ head out,’_ Lacy said, their face a mask of innocence versus the cheeky tone ringing in her ear.

“Well, we gotta head out,” Luma said reluctantly. “My family is waiting on us.”

“Yeah, same. Guess I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“Yeah. I can’t wait.”

“Me either,” Cass found herself saying before she could stop herself. By the bright smile she got in response she was glad she didn't.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. Sorry for the long time between updates. Adult life sucks, but I hope this much longer chapter makes up for the wait ^.^  
As always a huge shout out to my beta @Fivebyfreakingfive for making this readable.  
Enjoy and please leave comments/kudos if you are so inclined. If not that's okay, love seeing the hit count go up regardless  
Later everyone!

Shion leaned against a shadowed corner of the bar, watching the small figure at the other end wipe at the same spot for the last, they checked their watch, five minutes. Cass was always a bundle of energy and it was interesting to figure out what was going in her head. With Shion’s background in psychology, Cassie Charke was a field day. But right now, Shion couldn’t figure out what was making her so damn antsy. Their curiosity piqued when they noticed every time someone new came in Cass seemed to perk up, then deflate. ‘Now who are you waiting for?’ They were dead for the moment, having just opened the doors. The place wouldn’t start getting packed until about an hour before the show would start. A few of the regulars were milling about, chatting with the staff, the crew was setting the stage, everything was running smoothly. This let Shion know they could go bug one of their favorite bartenders for a bit.

“You know I think that one spot over there is cleaner then when the bar was first put in,” They said with a wry grin, watching Cass jump like she’d been goosed.

“Wha-what?”

“That one spot on the bar, the one you’ve been cleaning for the last few minutes. Could probably eat off that part.”

Cass looked confused for a second before looking over at the where her boss was pointing and blushed beet red. “Uh, yeah you know me. Tryin’a keep this place clean?” It was an awkward, obvious lie and Cass grimaced.

“And I appreciate the effort. Now want to tell me what has you snapping your neck towards the door every few minutes?”

Cass fiddled with her rag, looking at the bar in the hopes a customer needed help so she could get away, but no luck. “I uh, a friend is coming here tonight. She’s never been and I kinda wanted to show her around.”

Shion didn’t think Cass could turn any redder. “A friend huh? And does this newcomer friend have a name?”

Cass let out a sigh, knowing she wasn’t going to be getting away anytime soon. Shion was above all else her boss and mentor, but they were also a good friend who loved to tease her. Grumbling she replied, “Luma Orsini. She’s a teacher’s aid for Kira’s class. We met the other day on the field trip and, I dunno, she seemed pretty cool. And interested in the show tonight.”

Shion didn’t even try and stop the smile that crossed their lips as they listened to their young friend talk. _‘Oh, she’s got it bad.’_ “Well then it worked out really well that you switched tonight, hmm?”

Cass nodded, extremely glad as well that she had switched with one of the morning workers because she had been scheduled to work until close, but instead was going to get off in just a few hours. If Luma showed up that meant she could spend some time with the other woman, maybe get to know her better. Butterflies erupted in her stomach at that thought and she took a breath trying to calm down. The warm, understanding smile she was getting from her boss was helping a lot. That was Shion though, they always had the calmest energy about them, no matter what was going on. She had seen them face down drunken idiots, perform in front of a packed house, and talk down kids that were a bit too close to the edge, all without breaking a sweat. Cass wished she had even a third of that ability.

Especially right now.

A notification on her glasses pulled her attention and she tapped the earpiece.

Unknown Number: _Hey it’s Luma, from Kira’s school. I’m heading to the club now, hope to see you there._

Immediately Cass saved the number and sent a message back: _Yeah I’m working the bar right now, I’ll see you when you get in._

Luma: _Great! See you in a bit._

Cass re-read the message again, before sliding the glasses back on top of her head, frowning at the knowing smirk she was getting. “What?” She grumbled.

Shion shook their head, “Besides you grinning so wide I thought your jaw was about to crack? Nothing. Though you’ll have to introduce me to this girl that’s got you so giddy.” Before Cass could form a reply Shion was pulled away to deal with a sound issue.

_‘See you in a bit.’_

Taking a deep breath Cass shook her head at how her stomach flipped from those five words.

-=-

Luma walked up to the club, surprised as always at the unassuming façade. The place blended in well with the surrounding structures, only the Roman columns bracketing the front door making it stand out. There was a small line of people waiting to be let in by the two bouncers, a male, and an android. The droid looked like a much older model and Luma knew Lacy would have a field day asking it questions.

She paid the overhead and stepped inside. Just through the wide archway that led into the club proper, Luma got the feeling she had just stepped back in time. As far as recreations went the place was spot on: with velvet tablecloths draped over tables and varying sizes, a large oval stage just to the right with a long lacquered bar just nearby, complete with brass fittings and a mirror up behind the bar, manned by another old school droid in what looked like a tux vest, a slight reminder of the real-time they were in. Across from the stage was a massive fish tank, Kingyo emblazoned near the top with a rainbow variety of koi swimming lazily, the cool colors a beautiful balance against the warm browns, reds, and golds that adorned the rest of the bar. The place was well lit, but not overbearingly so, by both the soft glow of the tank and the buttery golden glow of table candles and brass fixtures. Luma’s artistic mind took everything in, every hue, sight, and sound, filing it all away.

She tore her eyes away and looked around, disappointed when she didn’t see Cass right away, but she had said she was here, so Luma figured she might be in the back. She walked over to the bar and took up a seat closer to the stage, looking forward to the show. She heard from others that the performances were varied; drag shows, karaoke, live bands, etc, but always amazing.

She and Lacy had talked about coming here, they liked jazz, but couldn’t do loud clubs. So tonight was a bit of a scouting mission-slash-“get to know the very attractive volunteer” mission. Again her eyes swept around and she spotted Cass coming from a door behind the bar, a heavy box in her arms.

Cass set the box down on the counter with a small ‘oomph’, clapping her hands together to get the dust off her fingers before starting to restock, pulling the box along the counter as she went. Just as she was about halfway done and was starting to bend over to restock one of the coolers she heard her name being called behind her. With a beer bottle in hand, she turned, surprised when she saw the familiar blonde at the bar.

“L-Luma!” She cleared her throat, desperately hoping the other woman didn’t hear her squeak in surprise. The surprise, unfortunately, had another side effect of her hands loosening and the beer bottle that was in them to drop. With a resounding crack, the bottle broke, splashing beer onto her boots and pants legs. With a curse and a few small hops, she shook off the amber and white foam, grabbing the towel that was on her shoulder to mop off the rest of it.

Luma covered her mouth, trying hard to cover a giggle. After Cass cleaned up and walked back out, Luma felt bad seeing the consternation on her face. “I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

Cass waved her hand. “Not the first time I’ve broken a bottle.” _‘Though I haven’t done it in a long freakin’ time,’_ She thought with a mental eye roll. “I’m glad you could make it though. Can I get you something?” She scooped up a nearby leather bound menu and slid it in front of Luma, leaning on the bar on the other side. “The kitchen’ll be open for a bit longer if you’re hungry.”

Luma found that she hadn’t heard a word as she gazed into the amber eyes in front of her that were reflecting the buttery lighting from the wall scones and the brief flashes of color from the stage. It wasn’t until Cass’s head cocked to the side and her eyebrows dipped forward in confusion that Luma realized she had been staring. Quickly she opened up the menu and began to scan it in the hopes of brushing off having been caught staring.

It wasn’t a large menu, but varied, from fries and onion rings, to spaghetti with meatballs and cheesecake with chocolate or strawberries. She had eaten before coming, but her sweet tooth perked up at the last one. “Do you guys have tea? Like any hot tea?”

_‘How are you so adorable?’_ Cass thought then turned to answer the question. “I know we got sweet tea, no hot tea though.”

“That’ll be fine. Can I get a glass of that?”

“Sure. Give me a second, I’ll be right back.” Cass disappeared through another door, this one marked ‘Kitchen’ on the frosted glass and Luma was left to study more of the club. More people were trickling in, many of the tables closest to the stage already taken with patrons. Their excited chatter mixed with the soft jazz still pipping through and Luma felt her excitement grow.

“Here ya go.”

Luma turned, grinning automatically upon seeing Cass, a tall glass in her hands that she set on a coaster by Luma’s elbow. She gave a smile of thanks as she took a sip, humming softly at the balance of sugar and earthy tea. “Perfect,” She said, setting down the glass.

Cass watched her move, a gracefulness that seemed almost innate in every line and curve. “Yeah…perfect,” She murmured, then gave herself a mental slap. “Uh, do you want anything to eat?”

Luma shook her head, setting the glass down. “No I ate before coming here.”

“Cool cool, kay,” Cass replied, tapping a hand against the bar, scrambling for something to say. Someone calling for a drink pulled Cass’s attention away. “Be right with ya,” She yelled, then turned back to Luma. “Duty calls. Um, just relax and give a yell if ya need anything, okay?” Luma nodded, but Cass still lingered for a second, before pulling herself away.

For the next hour they played this back and forth, Cass would maneuver around the back of the bar, looking comfortable among the shakers and bottles, smiling and greeting everyone like an old friend. Luma found herself entranced watching her move, the grin never leaving Cass’s face even as she made the most complicated drinks. Luma didn’t even mind that she was only able to steal a few moments here and there, knowing Cass was working after all. But she couldn’t deny that anytime Cass would look over, or Cass was able to take a breather to check-in, Luma felt herself warm and smile.

The show was just beginning to start up when the other bartender came in and jumped on the clock. After a quick check in with Shion for any last minute things (thank god there weren’t any) and Cass clocked out. She grabbed her bottle of water and walked around to where Luma was sitting, entranced by the beginning of the show. She took a deep swallow of the water, blaming the continuous talking for her suddenly dry throat. Nothing to do with the bright smile on Luma’s face or amber eyes that sparkled with the flashing lights of the stage. Nope, nothing at all.

“Hey,” She said, coming to stand next to the woman. It was closer than she normally would due to the slight crush of people but she tried to put as much distance as possible to not crowd Luma.

Luma turned her head, her smile somehow growing larger when she saw Cass on this side of the bar. “Hey. You on a break now?”

“Off, actually,” Cass replied, feeling butterflies in her stomach at the prospect of some uninterrupted time with the beautiful blonde. “I traded with the guy that just came in so I’ve been here since this morning.”

“You bartend in the mornings?”

“No, during the day we work more to make sure the club is set up for the night, get deliveries and inventory done, that kinda thing.”

Luma nodded, growing excited that she’d be able to spend more one on one time with Cass. “Cool, I’m sure you’ve got some stories to tell about this place.”

Cass smiled, “Yeah a few.” A throat clearing behind her forced her to step closer to Luma, reaching out to balance against the bar to let the man by.

Luma felt her focus zero in on where the outside of Cass’s thigh brushed her's and the other woman’s arm was pressed against her shoulder as she balanced. She turned her head slightly, surprised at how close they now were: close enough she could smell leather, beer, and a sweet woodsy scent that wrapped around her mind and pulled her in. She was just able to stop herself from leaning forward when Cass turned, their noses almost touching.

“Whoa, sorry,” Cass pulled her head back as much as possible, but she didn’t have much room to move. If she was honest she found she didn’t want to. There was something magnetic about the blonde. She had noticed it when they were at the zoo, unable to look away as she had interacted with the kids and laughed. As they had eaten lunch together, talking. Cass never considered herself very outgoing. Oh, she could small talk with the best of them, it was a necessary skill when working at a bar; however, when there wasn’t a bar or beer bottle between them, it was much harder. But she didn’t feel any of that normal trepidation with Luma, she found herself enjoying talking to her, wanting to find more to say to see her smile and laugh.

Luma shook her head distractedly, too focused on the flecks of gold in amber eyes. “No uh…it’s fine. I don’t mind.” And she didn’t. She found herself deeply intrigued by this woman and wanted to find out more. Hoping she wasn’t about to make a fool of herself, as Cass straightened once the group passed, she rested her hand on Cass’s forearm, not letting her move too far. “Should we go find a table so you don’t have to keep shuffling around?” Then something occurred to Luma and she quickly tried to backtrack. “If you want to stay that is. I’m sure you probably want to get home if you’ve been here all day,” She babbled, her stomach twisting at the thought of the other woman taking off.

“No I don’t mind staying. I know some of the performers tonight, so I know it’s going to be good.” Cass said and nodded to a nearby table. It was a bit further from both the bar and stage, but would still afford them a good view out of the crush of bodies. Luma made her way over to it before it was snagged by someone else, surprised when almost just after they sat down a full glass of tea was set next to her nearly empty one. She looked up at the person in surprise, not having ordered one.

“Cass said yours was looking kinda light, so she ordered you another one,” The person explained, with a gentle smile as they set a beer in front of Cass, clapping a hand on her shoulder. Cass felt her her stomach clenching, and she began to silently call for someone to have an emergency so her boss could leave. Course the radio on Shion's hip was silent. "I'm Shion, welcome to my club."

"You own Kingyo?" Luma asked, taking a second look at the person before them; though masculine appearing there was a delicate beauty to them, magnified by the soft brown eyes and full smile that was inviting and comforting.

“Co-own. There's a few of us," Shion held out their hand that Luma took in a shake. "So I must say i've never seen you here before.”

_‘You know for a fact you haven’t. I told you that earlier.’_ Cass grumbled.

“This is my first time. Cass told me about the performances and I thought it would be perfect to come and check the place out," Luma replied, glancing at Cass with a smile. "I'm loving it so far.”

“Always great to hear. And for a first time coming here, you chose the best person to hang out with. Cass has been with us for awhile and definitely knows the ins and outs," Shion said, not above praising any of her workers. Or playing wingman for a friend. "She has quite a few stories to tell, don't you Cass?”

Cass looked up at Shion, eyes narrowing.

"You should tell her about some of the past performances. Or even Cash.” The smirk on her boss’s face was devilish and Cass’s face flared with heat.

“Who, or what, is Cash?” Luma asked, looking between Shion’s smirking face and Cass’s glaring eyes. She didn’t think she saw any real anger, but wasn’t one hundred percent sure.

“Nothing. No one. Thanks for the beer, boss,” Cass replied, hoping Shion would go away before anymore mention of the one night she let her guard down and, for some reason (she blamed alcohol), allowed some of the drag queens to work their magic on her. One taped down chest, penciled goatee and...‘package’ later and Cash was born.

Shion knew not to push farther, so instead their smile softened to a more genuine one as they turned to Luma. Their smile was so warm Luma couldn’t help but mirror it. “It is really nice to meet you, but I’ll leave you two to it. I have to get back to make sure everything is running smoothly, but please don’t hesitate to give a yell if you need something else.”

“Thanks. It was really nice to meet you,” Luma said, taking the offered hand once more.

Shion gave it a friendly squeeze before turning to Cass and leaning down to whisper in her ear, “I can see why you were distracted. She seems nice. Have a good night.”

Cass felt her cheeks flush again, but any irritation was quelled when she saw the honest emotion in her boss’s eyes. They weren’t teasing. “Night Shion.”

“Everything okay?” Luma asked, curious as to the strange turn the last part of the conversation had taken.

“Yeah. Uh yeah. It’s nothing,” She finished, pasting on a smile and hoping she was able to mask her nerves.

Luma cocked her head, not sure she really beleived her, but not wanting to push. “Okay. And who’s Cash?” She recieved a groan and chuckled in response, stuck between amused and concerned. “Or do I really not want to know?”

“No, it’s nothing bad. More…Embarrassing. I’m gonna need a few more drinks in me before I open up with that particular story,” Cass replied, smirking as she wiggled her bottle and took a swig.

“Well maybe next time I’ll be able to get that story of you,” Luma replied.

The idea of a next time soothed away Cass’s embarrassment, replacing it with the electric feeling of anticipation. “Next time huh?”

“Yeah, next time.”

They both smiled at one another, lost in their own world until the next show started up. The feel of the bar came alive as performers strutted around the stage, songs blasting from unseen speakers, as dazzling as anything seen in Vegas. Lively country songs, hip hop, dance, old school techno, the performers were always an eclectic mix, but each more amazing than the last.

Luma found herself torn between enjoying the spectacle on stage and the distraction of Cass leaning forward before the next performer started up and offering an anecdote or two about the singer or something funny that had happened during set up. Luma laughed as she listened, trying to keep quiet so as not to disturb anyone near them. She turned her head to the side, almost into Cass’s shoulder since they had moved closer together to be able to better hear one another over the music.

“She did not say that.”

“Hand to sky. She whipped around to the chick that had called her and her hair ugly, pulled off her hat and this almost Rapunzel style, gorgeous hair came tumblin’ out. Other chick didn’t know what to say so she kinda slithered off,” Cass said, delighted to hear Luma’s laugh. She always liked to make people laugh and feel good, but doing it for Luma was a particular joy.

Luma chuckled and sat back a bit. “You’re like my own personal tour guide.”

Cass smirked, “I aim to please.”

“And I’m sure you always do,” Luma replied with a smile and quirk of her eyebrow. The hint of innuendo slithered and pooled in Cass’s belly and she took another swig.

Thankfully another singer started up, but Cass’s mind was too frazzled to come up with anything. Her fingers played with the condensation of the glass, eyes focused quite intently on the stage.

Luma watched her for a moment, growing worried that she had said something wrong when Cass suddenly closed off. Cautiously she reached out, resting a hand on Cass’s arm. Almost immediately she felt the muscles tense and snapped her hand away. “Sorry I…I just wanted to see if you were okay. I’m sorry if I said something wrong.”

“No it’s…trust me you didn’t,” Cass replied, not even noticing when her hand reached out towards Luma, resting on the table between them.

Luma smiled, letting out a breath of relief. Cautiously she reached out and rested her hand on Cass’s, glad when she didn’t flinch away this time. “I’m glad.”

The singer was belting out a dance melody, the lights were flashing and bass thrumming, but all Cass could tell anyone about that moment was the softness of Luma’s smile in the lights and the warmth of her hand as Cass turned her hand over and threaded her fingers through Luma’s.

When the song finished and the stage was set up for the next performer Luma took this chance to lean forward, a mischievous smile on her lips. “So there is one story that I really want to know more about.”

“Which one?”

“Today the kids were drawing their favorite parts of the zoo. Quite a few drawings had you in them.”

“Me?” Cass asked, confused at the direction of the conversation.

“Uh huh. A lot of the kids were quite taken with all of the playing you did with them, and Kira regaled all of us with tales of you. Like when you and some of your cousins snuck out of a family get together to go swimming.”

Cass groaned and dropped her head into her free hand. It had been an Easter get together, but a lot of the kids and even younger adults were growing bored so a handful of them had snuck out. They hadn’t gone very far, hopping the fence into the public pool down the street. All was fine and good, Kira and a few other youngsters had a great old time, up until the cops had come and escorted them back home.

“God my mom got so damn pissed,” Cass rolled her eyes, remembering the earful she’d gotten from her mom. “But the kids had a good time so whatever.”

“Are you guys close?”

Cass hesitated, the answer was not first date material. ‘Not a date. This isn’t a date.’

The stretching silence worried Luma and she gently squeezed Cass's hand that was still in her's. “Are you okay? You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to. I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

Without hesitation Cass shook her head and squeezed Luma's hand in return. “No nothing like that. I don’t think you could make me uncomfortable.”

Relief eased the tension in her shoulders and Luma smiled brightly. “I’m glad. I kind of like spending time with you. I’d hate to do anything to change that.”

Heat flashed up Cass’s face, and she opened her mouth, completely intent on saying something charming or smooth, instead what comes out is a squeaked “Uh-huh.” Luma bit her lip to muffle a giggle as Cass cleared her throat. “I mean, yeah I like spending time with you too.”

“I’m really glad we agree,” Luma said, before turning to watch the next performer, leaving Cass watching her, both with matching grins. After a few moments, Luma glanced over at her, an impish smile on her lips that finally had Cass looking back towards the stage.

But she feels a soft squeeze and realizes they’re still holding hands.

And neither make a move to let go.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally done.  
Due to life and getting ready for and then competing in Nano this got pushed to the back burner. But it's done and I hope y'all enjoy it. Thank you so much for sticking with me and for all the love y'all have shown this little fic.  
And last but not least a HUGE thanks to my beta Fivebyfreakinfive who has been hella patient with me and my horrible grammar, spelling, etc lol They deserve a huge thanks for this.  
Later y'all.

A group of people spilled out of Kingyo around ten, many moving off to the side to grab a smoke, some moving off to the next part of their night. Cass and Luma moved out with the crowd, listening to the excited chatter about the show mixing with the soft jazz playing through the speakers now that the show was over.

“That was really great,” Luma said. “Some of those performers were…wow.”

Cass smiled at the brightness in the other woman’s voice and face. “They always put everything into it. I’d be happy to introduce you to some of them if you’d like sometime.”

Luma chewed her lip, mulling the offer over before shaking her head. “Maybe another time.” As much as she enjoyed the singers and dancers, she was enjoying it being just the two of them at the moment. She wanted to stretch this out, just a bit longer. “So what do you usually do after getting out late from here?”

“There’s a diner up the street, pretty good burgers. Don’t tell Shion, but better then what Kingyo has. Though nothing does beat the bar’s desserts. All the owners have a bit of a sweet tooth.”

“Well do you want to go grab something to eat? If you’re not tired.”

Cass had been up since eight that morning, at work since ten, and normally she would just grab a burger to go and head home to a shower then bed. But right now there was none of the usual fatigue, instead her body thrummed with whatever was building between them. They had an easy back and forth, Luma easily filling a silence that Cass struggled to. As cheesy as it sounded, Cass felt like she had known Luma for much longer then just a few days and she didn’t want this night to end. There was also a playful, easy flirtation that underlined all their interaction throughout the night. Cass wasn’t one hundred percent sure if it was intentional or just part of Luma’s bubbly nature, but, despite the uncertainty, she was enjoying this. “No, we can grab something to eat. Let’s go.”

They turned, shoulder to shoulder, and walked down the street. At one point Cass saw that Luma was shivering a bit and without thinking she slipped out of her coat and slid it around Luma’s shoulders. Luma looked up in surprise, not realizing she had been cold until she felt the warm leather against her arms. “You’ll get cold,” She protested, even as she threaded her arms into the sleeves, soaking in the warmth.

“I’m pretty warm blooded, I’ll be okay.” Cass replied, enjoying the sight of the blonde cuddling into her bomber jacket, the thick fluffy collar up around her ears.

They pressed through the crush of the crowd and without thinking Luma reached out to tuck her hand into the crook of Cass’s arm so they didn’t get separated. Cass didn’t say anything, only smiling and resting her own hand over the one tucked in the bend of her elbiw. She loved watching the shows, they always left her feeling pumped up, but she found herself flying high for a different reason. Her eyes darted off to the side, her heart leaping when she locked gazes with Luma. A soft smile was on her face, a companion to Cass’s own grin. She ducked her head, but the grin only widened when she felt a soft squeeze on her elbow. The minute distance between them disappeared as Luma moved closer, their shoulders brushing with each step.

Even after they cleared the crush of people, neither made a move to separate.

Down the street they arrived at the diner, a squat building that looked like it was pulled right out of the fifties, down to the black and white checkered tiles and the jukebox in the corner, though it had a holographic interface instead of discs like the old school ones. The door jingled with an overhead bell and they made their way to an empty booth near the back. The space between the counter that ran the length of the diner and the line of booths by the window was narrow, meaning they had to break apart, but Cass allowed Luma forward, her hand beginning to drift to the small of Luma’s back, but stopped herself. Holding hands was one thing, she didn’t want to overstep. Though the warm smile that Luma shot over her shoulder as they made their way to the back of the diner gave Cass a feeling that maybe it wouldn’t have been.

One of the waitresses, an older woman with thick gray curls pulled up onto the top of her head and thick black glasses, looked up from where she was writing someone else’s order and gave a smile and nod.

“Hey hun. Be with you in a second.”

Cass waved back, smiling. “No rush, Ruth.” The old woman went back to her customer with her normal scowl.

Luma slid into the seat, the cracked vinyl creaking as she settled in, watching Cass slide in across from her. She watched a few other diner workers give a wave or ‘hello’ to the smaller woman, reminding her of an old TV show she used to watch with her grandpa where everyone would yell a person’s name when they came through the door. A few more people walked in, adding to the low murmer of voices and soft rock playing through the jukebox. The walls had neon and metal signs that were throwbacks from a long ago time. Luma almost felt like she’d been transported back a couple hundred years and instantly fell in love with the place.

“How did you even find this place?”

“It’s a favorite for a lot of people at the bar. I got brought here a few weeks after I started,” Cass said, smiling warmly as she remembered being dragged out after a long shift along with a gaggle of drag performers, techs, and Shion behind them like a goose protecting their goslings. Cass got introduced to the stick to your ribs food, crotchety but lovable owners Ruth and Jessup, and a few other regulars. It was also the night that Cass felt she actually belonged and was accepted. It was one of her favorite memories. “The food definitely isn’t the healthiest around, but hits the spot after a long night performing or slinging drinks.”

Luma had the menu opened in her hands, but her attention was caught with the soft smile and obvious affection Cass had for the place. She smiled in return, “Sounds perfect. What do you recommend?”

Cass leaned forward a bit, pointing to a few things she’d tried when Ruth comes up to their table, her glasses perched on her nose.

“Evening, girls. What can I get for you? Hey sweetie.”

“Hey Ruth. I’ll have the scrambled eggs plate, hash browns, and waffles please.”

“Gotcha,” Ruth said, making a few notes on her pad before turning sharp brown eyes towards Luma. “And you, sugar?”

“Um the Colorado Omelette looks great. Can I get that please? And some orange juice and water?”

“Same for me.”

“Gotcha, scrambled eggs, omelette, two OJs and waters. Coming right up,” Ruth stuffed the notebook back into her pocket. “Cass introduce me to your lady friend properly when I get back,” She said before leaving to the kitchen.

Cass shook her head, glancing back at Luma who grinned.

“Your lady friend, huh?”

“Sorry. Yeah I don’t come here a lot with anyone outside of the bar, so Ruth is nosy and gets interested when I bring someone new.”

“And is this something you’ve done before? Bring someone new?”

“Um, no. This is actually the first time.” They both looked up when another waitress came, putting down the waters with a smile before leaving again.

Luma smiled, feeling more relief then she probably should. “Then I’m honored.” Cass nodded and looked away, a soft pink coloring her cheeks as she seemed to find something very interesting on the far wall. It was charming and adorable and Luma knew that despite the small time they've known each other, something was forming between them. She had dated a few others in the past, but had only clicked this quickly with another person once before. For a moment she thought of her first love and she sent a small thought up to him, hoping wherever he was he was still looking down on his family and her. First and foremost, Hawk had been her best friend and she missed him dearly. A stray random thought came through her mind as she looked at Cass’s profile, ‘They would have gotten on really well together.’

She was pulled from her thoughts by a warm hand taking her own and concerned brown eyes looking at her. She hadn’t even noticed Cass turning to look at her.

“Hey. You okay?” Cass asked, noticing the now shuttered look in her eyes.

Luma forced a smile, not wanting to dampen this. “Sorry, drifted off. Yeah I’m okay.”

Cass didn’t fully believe her, but didn’t want to push. Instead she said, “Well if you ever need to talk to someone, I’m willing to listen. May not be the best in the advice department beyond ‘Do you want me to hit someone for you?’, but…” She trailed off with a shrug, glad when Luma giggled and shook her head.

“I appreciate it. No I’m happy right now,” Luma admitted. “I’ve had a really great time tonight and…I’m glad I’m getting to share breakfast with you.”

Cass nodded, feeling her heart speed up at the way Luma was looking at her right now. Happiness with just a touch of heat, nothing overt, but enough to send her pulse skipping. She felt it herself, the start of something. There was no need to name it, she wasn’t ready, but they were heading towards whatever it was.

They were cut off when someone standing by the table cleared their throat quite pointedly. Both snatched their hands away and looked up blushing like kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar, but Ruth only chuckled and set the plates out, expertly juggling silverware, plates, and glasses until they were all in place. She tucked the tray under her arm and jutted out her hip. “So, introduce me, Cass. Don’t be rude.”

Cass shook her head at the nosy woman before smiling and saying, “Luma, this is Ruth Bowens, owner of this fine greasy spoon.” She ducked the hand swatting at her shoulder with a laugh. “And Ruth this is Luma Orsini, she’s a teacher’s aide at my niece’s school.”

“You two just came from the club right? How’d the performances go?” Ruth asked, looking at from Cass to Luma.

“They were great, I’ve never been before. I can’t wait until the next time I can see it again.”

“Come anytime.”

“At least get to know a girl first before making that kind of offer, Cass,” Ruth said, a twinkle in her dark eyes as she watched Cass’s face turn bright red before she started coughing and hacking on the water she just started to drink.

“Oh my god,” Luma laughed, slapping a hand over her mouth to try and smother her mirth, but it wasn’t any use. “I can’t believe you said that.”

“When you get to be my age, hun, you gain the amazing ability to say what you want and not give a damn. Especially when you’ve been working customer service for so damn long. Now Cass, you’re turning redder then the vinyl, calm down.” Ruth reached out and slapped Cass on the back a few times before rubbing it.

Cass shook her head, wheezing as she finally dispelled the last of the liquid from her lungs. “I hate when you do that,” She mumbled, wiping her eyes and mouth. “Years I’ve been coming here and I’m still not used to it.”

“Hey, I only do it to the customers I like. You should hear some of the things I say to the ones that piss me off. Now, I gotta get back, make sure every things settled. You give a yell if you need anything.”

“Thanks Ruth,” Luma said, finding herself liking this blunt, probably overly so, woman who definitely had a warm spot for her young regular. It further seperated the idea she had had of the young Charke before meeting her. A lot of people cared for her, loved teasing her. It made her own desire to get to know Cass grow.

Cass flapped her hand as she took another tentative sip of her drink, sighing when her body calmed down. “Sorry about that. She loves to tease people and ‘boundaries’ is a word that left her vocab a long time ago.”

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it. I like her.”

“Yeah, she’s good people. And her husband Jessup makes some mean food. Eat up,” Cass said, turning to dig into her eggs with a gusto. She was always starving after working a shift.

Luma dug in as well, though not as hurriedly. She took a bite and nearly moaned at how fluffy the omelette was and the crisp bite of bell peppers and melty cheese. Oh she was so coming back here again.

For a moment she paused, glancing at her table companion who was scooping a large pile of hash browns on to her fork. ‘Hopefully with the same company.’

Not many words passed between them after that, both finding themselves much hungrier then they had been expecting.

By the time they were done both sat back with a soft ‘oof’, patting their stomachs.

“That was amazing,” Luma said. She let out a yawn that was mirrored soon by Cass.

“No kidding. I feel like I’m getting the food stupids right now.”

Luma glanced at her watch and grimaced when she saw how late it was. “Wow it’s already nearly one. I have work in the morning. I should probably call for a cab.”

The words, while not surprising, still filled Cass with disappointment that she hid by sitting up and stacking their dishes as Luma quickly dialed up a car to come get her. “Then we should probably head out. I’m feeling pretty wiped too.” But she didn’t want to leave, to end this night that was probably one of the best she had had in a very long time. She was heartened by the fact that the same reluctance was on Luma’s face.

Cass flagged Ruth down, but before she could even pull out her wallet Luma handed over enough money to cover the bill, waving away Cass’s protest. “My treat this time.” The implication of a next time thrilled Cass who felt the words die on her lips. “You’ve been the best guide tonight and showed me a lot. Least I can do is feed you.”

“That’s how you get me, feed me.”

“Then I’d love to come back with you sometime. Maybe we can try something sweeter,” Luma said, a coquettish grin on her lips. She was coming to find Cass Charke to be an interesting package, a young tough woman that could handle drunk patrons with little issue, but blushed and stuttered when Luma smiled at her. ‘Oh to unwrap that package and see what’s underneath.’ That particular image had Luma’s own face lighting on fire. She tried to turn her face away, to hide the blush, standing up from the table. Her eyes swept around the diner, surprised to see that even at the late hour there were still a good number of patrons.

“It’ll be like this for another hour when the place closes,” Cass said as she came to stand by Luma, tossing a few bucks under her glass for tip. “You okay? You look a little red.”

“Just warm in here I guess. Let’s head out.”

They threaded their way through the crowd, Cass nodding at a few people she recognized until, much like earlier when they left the bar, they emerged into the cold night air and stopped on the sidewalk. They tucked close to the building, not wanting to be in anyone’s way, lingering as neither wanted this to end, despite responsibilities and fatigue that stated they had to.

“You know…next month we're taking the kids to the space museum. Show them the Endeavor. Are you...gonna volunteer again?" Luma asked.

Museums, libraries, and anything to do with books and boring facts usually put Cass right to sleep, but she didn't even hesitate, "Yeah, I'd love to!"

Happiness bloomed in Luma’s chest and curled her lips into a wide grin. "Great, great i know the kids will love to have you there. I'll be happy to have you come back, too."

“Really?" Luma nodded and the response gave Cass the courage to add, "Well....could I see you before then? Outside of coming to pick up Kira from school i mean.”

“I'd love that.”

“Great.”

"Great." They trailed off, standing there neither quite wanting to leave, but not sure what to do next.

Luma took a breath and stepped forward, well into Cass's space. She saw the other woman stiffen, but before she could backtrack, Luma felt warm hands settle on her waist. She reached up to brush a few strands of hair from Cass’s forehead, before resting her palm on the soft material of the other woman's shoulder. She leaned into Cass's solid warmth, into the parted lips she’d been wanting to taste all night. It was tentaive, hopeful, sweet, tasting of coffee and syrup and promise. Luma pressed forward a bit. She didn't want to scare Cass, but she wanted more of the sweet woodsy scent and strong arms. Something was bubbling within her chest and pressing into her ribs until she felt she couldn't breathe. She would have been startled by this, if she didn't feel Cass pressing just as close, her fingers curling around Luma's waist, fingers finding the belt loops of her pants as if they were anchors.

Her body told her no, but she moved, trailing her lips over flushed cheeks and fluttering pulse point before burrowing her face into Cass's shoulder, her arms tight around her neck.

Cass's own arms wrapped around Luma, pressing her as close until nothing was between them except clothes and heat. Words were hard to form and it took a moment for her tongue to loosen itself before she could say, "Wow."

Luma laughed. "Yeah, wow." She pulled back, just enough to be able to look into Cass's face as she asked, "That...was that okay? I know it's kinda sudden."

“That was more then okay. I've...kinda been wanting to do that all night.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh yeah.”

Relief flooded through Luma and she laughed, more a relieved huff of air, as she nuzzled into Cass’s throat. “I kind of don’t want to leave.”

“God me too…but we have to,” Cass mumbled, her eyes closing as she tried to savor this moment. Who knew when it was going to happen again, but if she had anything to say about it, it would be very soon. “I’ve been on my feet since early this mornin’ and you have a classroom full of hyper active kiddos to deal with.” Luma mumbled an ‘uh huh’, but neither made a move to seperate. “Can I kiss you again?”

The request was so soft, hopeful, Luma felt her heart melt. She cupped Cass’s cheeks and pressed their lips together again. There wasn’t as much hesitancy this time, but still some restraint. They were near an alley at 1 am after all and each had to get home. The real world was intruding, but they wanted to draw this out just a moment longer. For just a moment more to savor the sweetness of possibility and growth and ‘what ifs’.

“You are an amazing kisser,” Luma whispered, her words little more then hot breath brushing over Cass’s lips and cheeks.

“Right back at ya.” Cass pressed her forehead against Luma's, taking a breath to steady herself. “Wasn’t really expectin’ that.”

“What?”

“You. This. Not expecting that volunteering to chaperon Kira’s field trip was gonna lead to…whatever is going on.”

“Are you okay with it? We can go slower or,” Luma didn’t say stop, simply letting it be implied because she didn’t want to stop. She wanted to spend more time with this woman, more time laughing with her and sharing stories, and definetly being held in her arms.

Cass shook her head quickly, barely pulling back in time so as not to smack noses. “No, I…the pace is good. Just unexpected.” Whatever was going on was something Cass didn’t want to put a stop to. She had learned over the years to try and cherish the good things because so much bad shit could come your way. Sure emotions scared the shit out of her, but something about Luma calmed that fear. Instead of wanting to run she wanted to move closer, learn more about this veritable ray of sunshine personified.

“No kidding. I’ve been on that zoo trip multiple times before. You were such a great surprise.”

Cass smiled, ducking her head a bit at the compliment, burrowing her face into Luma’s shoulder. Her eyes closed as she felt fingers card through her hair. It was always something that soothed her and, right now, despite the change, despite the surprise of whatever this was, despite the way a smile from Luma made her heart somersault and stomach fill with butterflies, she felt at peace.

Unfortunately a soft ping sounded from Luma’s lenses and her eyes unfocused for a moment. She let out a sigh before sending off a message to the cab driver confirming her location. “My cab is on the way.”

“Probably a good thing…not that I want you to leave just I’m kinda dead on my feet,” Cass scrambled to explain.

“No I get it,” Luma chuckled, brushing her fingers over Cass’s face; her cheek, nose, lips, wanting to memorize and imprint this moment as solidly as possible. ‘Oh you’ve got it bad, Orsini.’

Both turned when there was a honk on the street, a taxi there waiting.

The disappointment was palpable, but they stepped back and started to walk towards the street. Cass opened the door for her, earning a soft smile that sent her heart racing.

‘God she’s beautiful.’ It was a thought she had had so many times since meeting the other woman, but she couldn’t help it.

Luma started to climb in, but stopped as something occurred to her. “Wait, how are you getting home?”

“I have a bike back at the bar.”

"Then you should probably take this back," Luma joked, though reluctantly slipped out of the heavy leather jacket, handing it back over. "I wouldn't want you to get sick."

Cass took it back, slipping it on and shivering as her cooled skin slid against the warmed leather. "Yeah, wouldn't want that."

Luma smiled. “Be safe okay?”

“I will.”

“And text me when you get home.”

Cass grinned, but nodded. “Promise.” She glanced over and saw the driver was getting impatient. “I should let you go.”

Luma nodded but stole another kiss, then pulled back before stealing another.

“That’s going to become addicting,” She replied before forcing herself into the cab.

Cass couldn’t help, but agree as she made sure Luma was in before closing the door. “Night Luma.”

“Night Cass.”

The taxi pulled away from the curb, leaving Cass on the sidewalk, staring after it. She stuck her hands into her pockets and turned to walk back to the club, making a mental note to get a very VERY big present for Kira and tell Carson she was willing to volunteer for any future field trips.


End file.
